A home office doesn’t have to be a traditional room set up solely for working. It can be a built-in table in the breakfast nook, a small desk underneath the stairway, a section of the garage or a corner of a bedroom. But regardless of office’s location, there never seems to be enough storage space. Maximize the room you have with these tips.

Make good use of walls. Adding shelves on the walls can greatly increase storage space without taking up floor space. Racks on the doors can also be a good option. The point is to fit stuff in without filling the space.

Consider dual-purpose furniture. Plenty of furniture can provide storage space, while also filling another function. For example, choose an ottoman that can be used for storage instead of a plain footrest, or use a trunk or crate instead of a traditional coffee table. That way, you’ll be able to store books or supplies without increasing the amount of furniture on the floor.

Be organized. If you are trying to fit a lot into a small space, organization is paramount. Messy items tend to take up more room, if only because everything is piled together instead of neatly stacked. One way to stay organized is to use see-through containers. That way, you can see what you are storing and find things more easily. Plus, they are neater and more stackable than cardboard boxes. Plus they last longer.

Fit your office into another room. If you can’t have a dedicated home office space all the time, look for ways to create a workspace that you can hide away when it’s not in use. For example, armoires aren’t just for bedrooms anymore. They are also wonderful for home office use. Armoires come in various sizes, shapes, colors and designs. You can even find them with a pullout shelf to use as a laptop desk. And they make it so that all office items can be stored behind closed doors when not in use.

Pat Jacobs is a freelance writer. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.